The invention is directed generally to connectors, and more particularly to an assembly for use in a fiber optic connector which aligns and spaces the terminal ends of a pair of fiber optic cables to provide efficient light transfer between the cables.
In recent years fiber optic light transmission systems, wherein a single optically-conductive fiber or a multiplicity of parallel optically-conductive fibers are arranged to form a flexible light-conductive cable bundle for conveying light from one location to another, have come into increasing use, not only for providing illumination, but also for conveying data from one location to another. In the latter application a light source is modulated with data to be transmitted at one end of the cable bundle, and the data is recovered at the other end of the cable bundle by a photo-sensitive detector. Since the data is conveyed by a medium not subject to radio frequency interference or detection, such light transmission systems are particularly well adapted for high security applications, such as found in the data processing and military communications fields.
With the increasing use of fiber optic systems, the need has developed for a connector for connecting segments of light-conductive cable bundles with minimum detriment to the optical transmission path. Prior art connectors for this purpose have not been completely satisfactory, particularly where frequent connects and disconnects must be made under adverse environmental conditions, or where multiple fiber optic circuits must be connected in a single connector because of the difficulty of maintaining an accurate consistent alignment between the ends of coupled cable segments under such conditions.
It is generally well known that the tolerances are very strict in the interconnection of a pair of fiber optic cables. The terminal ends of the cables must be axially and angularly aligned and as close together as possible without touching to achieve efficient light transfer. The glass material which is commonly used as the light conducting fiber core of the cables is very brittle, and touching of the cable terminal end faces results in abrasions to the end faces which results in consequent reduced light transfer efficiency. The present invention is directed to an assembly for use in a fiber optic connector which aligns and spaces the terminal ends of a pair of fiber optic cables to achieve efficient light transfer.
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a new and improved connector for light-conductive cable bundle segments.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an assembly for use in a fiber optic connector which provides efficient light transfer between a pair of fiber optic cables.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved fiber optic connector assembly which aligns and spaces the terminal ends of a pair of fiber optic cables to effect efficient light transfer between the cables.